Investigating a company with possible Al Queda ties? First book was good but this one PULLS you into the story. It looks at international terrorism and how it honestly impacts people’s day to day lives.. just wow.

I received this ARC for an honest review. 7 s amanda_coffee_books555 15

Wow amazing read

Wow is how I am starting this review. Just book one this book didn’t disappoint. I have to be honest I was confused with the different POV’s in the beginning. But they started coming together a puzzle. I love the world and the characters that this author creates. Starts where book one left off same characters. But with a new case to investigate with men scamming women out of money, women being kidnapped for human trafficking and money laundering. Luke and his team are trying to figure out how all these are connected to the case he is working on. Luke has amazing team who works with him. Just book one. I did end up buying a ebook copy of this book too. I also preordered book three. Which I can’t wait to find out what kind of case Luke and his team get into. I have to honestly say I enjoy these books and the world this author created. This book is packed with all kinds of action. There isn’t a boring moment while reading. Now yes this book took my a bit longer to finish. Not because I didn’t . Life gets in the way and I honestly didn’t want this book to end. I highly recommend this book.

I have to say thank you the author and lovebooktours the opportunity for allowing me to read another amazing book. book-read-in-2024 book-tours-2024 kindle2 s Debra Boyle4

I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this book.
It was really clever how it moved from the commercial arena to being included and involved in people smuggling and such violent offenders.
Excellent characters who are growing with each book.
I’m enjoying this series immensely and look forward to the next book.2 s Tracey174 2

Fantastic follow up to the first book of the series. Being reunited with the Ethics Team who feel old friends. Getting to know characters better and meeting new ones as the story unfolds adds a relatable and realistic aspect to the character, drawing you in further. The different threads of Luke and his team working with MI6 to uncover an international terrorist organisation are seamlessly interwoven to give a twisting, quick paced story that has you wanting to read more while also trying to make it last longer. Excellent second book of the series that had me lose track of time and read it in less than a day. Can't wait for the next one.2 s Nicola Hancock443 5

I love that it started in Krakow with Tania being abducted. Memories of going to krakow myself flooded back. Filchers and the characters from the first book are back and already Luke is getting asked to give a few hours to work as a paid consultant. Josh, Gucci and definito are all back, this made me so happy. I loved the amount of old and new characters including the bad guys in the black money.

You’ll find a variety of Terrorist organisations, sex trafficking, money laundering and so much more to keep you hooked to every page. I loved how there was a few stories taking place at one time but they merged together. There was so much speculation I don’t know how the author created it but it’s an absolute phenomenal read. I didn’t anticipate people conning people out of money, and the emails were a quirky touch.

Everything from Kidnapping to guns firing there was so much thrilling and tense moments. I would highly recommend this read but definitely read the first book. I am loving this series. Bring on book 3. 1 Vix434 20

4.5 rounded up to 5 stars for Goodreads.

The second book in the Luke Sackville crime series, but can be read as a standalone - and it was just as thrilling, if not more so, than the first.

There was tension, camaraderie, and sensible decisions (which is a strong plus point for me). It was great to be back with the team solving crimes but also learning more about their personal lives. I loved how everything was interwoven and that it was a rush against time for the women - without the team realising it.

My only quibble was around the secrecy of the MI6 task; where some of the conversations took place, how they sometimes told other people - it would just never happen at that classification level, or at least not without serious ramifications.

Overall, the pace was spot on again and I sped through it. I can't wait for the next one due in February 2024.1 Tiffany aka Chai Tea And Books686 30

Ohh I loved this one just as much as the first in the series! The cast of characters’ on Luke’s team are endearing and I love them and I honestly can’t wait to keep reading about their exploits. If you were to tell me I would be super entertained and invested in a book about an investigation into accounts and money laundering, I would have laughed and then fallen asleep. But this had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, starting off with a bang and the hits kept coming.

Ex DCI Luke heads up an Ethics Committee for his company. When he gets asked to work as a consult for the police part time, he accepts. They need his “human lie detector” skills to help investigate lower level thugs to get to the higher level. Not long after MI6 comes to his team for help, the company they just acquired is suspected of money laundering for a terrorist organization. You know, just a typical investigation.

Thank you to Love Book Tours for the copy, all thoughts are my own.quest-for-excellence-winter-20241 Amanda Mercedes288 10

I absolutely adore Josh’s character! He’s my favorite. Nothing better ever happen to him!
This was yet another case where the underdog was underestimated. Who would have ever thought the Ethics Department would be comprised of such sleuths? I enjoy the balance in these books— the crimes are intense (in this case trafficking and money laundering)— but there is a level of comedic banter amongst the cast of characters, even the villains. Very Scooby-Doo ish. I have the next book, and I can’t wait to dive in! I really love this gang of characters and can’t wait to see how they tackle their next case.

Thank you Love Book Tours for the copy! All thoughts are my own.

1 Debbie Arevalo4 6

I really enjoyed the cast of characters and their growing camaraderie in this 2nd Luke Sackville book. Each individual’s job position & personality bring life to the novel. The great narration helped me truly relate to each unique character.

This plot involves a mult-layered set of crimes to solve. Although the civilian company is the initial focus of the mystery, many different angles surface throughout. This makes the intrigue escalate and kept me hooked right up to the end. Luke leads his team through it all with skill but isn’t shown as perfect - resulting in him becoming one of my favorite sleuths. He’s a combination of ex-detective, cool boss & conflicted family man.

If you the jargon of a UK crime novel/mystery and colorful characters this one is for you. I’m hooked & ready for future adventures in this series. Thanks so much S. J. Richards & Aubrey Parsons for another fantastic work of fiction.
1 Lauren Couchman270 8

This book drops you straight back into the action with Luke Sackville and his team. I was gripped from page one and could not put the book down.

There were a few twists thrown in to keep you on your toes and I enjoyed getting to know Luke and the team more.

I’d highly recommend this to anyone who loves crime novels. I’m loving this series and can’t wait to read book three!1 Peter105

What an amazing follow up, was fortunate enough to receive an ARC copy from the author in return for an honest review.

After binging the first book I was hoping this book would be just as good, but it had me gripped and blew me away.

The way it highlighted a subject that everyone has knowledge on, was fantastic as it really touched on some fantastic points that makes you as a ready think about more than just the story.

Now I only have to wait until February for the third instalment, plenty of time for you to read the first two instillments though if you already haven’t.1 Paul Ceaggs5 1 follower

I read Black Money as an ARC reader and I’m very grateful to Steve for the opportunity.

This is the second instalment of the Luke Sackville series, and book 1, the story was very gripping and fast-paced.

Characterisation was very good again and reading about Luke and his team is being with good friends.

I would certainly recommend SJ Richards’ books to anyone who enjoys crime fiction as this series is very well written.1 Alyson Read967 46

Filchers’ Head of Ethics ex-DCI Luke Sackville is back together with his newly formed and very capable team of graduate trainee Josh and much older legal expert Helen plus technical wizard Majid and accountant Sam. Tania arrives in Poland expecting to meet a new boyfriend but instead finds herself trafficked to the UK for the sex trade. Eleanor has formed an online friendship with a man in the US and has been sending him money for medical treatment, whilst her daughter Mandy has made friends with Josh when they are both attending a detective course. Luke has been approached by the Deputy Chief Constable via his old friend and ex-colleague DI Pete Gilmore to work part time as a consultant, something he convinces his pompous boss Edward Filcher will bring prestige to the company since the police have been making slow progress investigating organised crime and need some help. Luke receives a visit from MI6 and learns about their investigation into an international terrorist organisation potentially laundering money through one of Filchers’ new projects. Soon his team are all caught up in the case, meanwhile Josh hears about Mandy’s mother and his girlfriend Leanne’s aunt both being conned out of money online by men and Maj runs into a frightened Tania. When one of Pete’s informants is found dead, they soon realise all these different threads are linked to the OCG and the case is much bigger than they expected. It will take all their combined skills to bring down this ruthless gang.
This is a super follow up to the first brilliant story in this new series, very well written and full of action and suspense with a cracking ending. All the ethics team are lovely, almost a family now, but I really have a soft spot for Josh, a clever and talented young man but also one who produces so many humorous moments throughout the story. We learn more about Luke and his past in this book. The son of the Duke and Duchess of Dorset, he played professional rugby whilst doing a law degree, only to gain an injury and then become a police officer, working his way up from the bottom to DCI. This and his marriage to struggling artist Jess caused a huge rift with his parents which is now finally starting to heal and we also meet his brother Mark. I thoroughly enjoyed this story from start to gripping finish and I am definitely looking forward to the return of Luke and the rest of the Ethics Team in book 3, Fog of Silence, out now.
Amorina CarltonAuthor 1 book24

Anyone who loved the first installment of the Luke Sackville series by S.J. Richards will love this second book revisiting the ex-cop turned ethics enforcer and his ragtag team as they try to save the day.

If you love a good crime thriller with an intriguing twist, Richards will deliver. He has created something unique. We often ex-police sleuths set up as private detectives or security workers. We also see journalists or bakers or similar professionals somehow solving crimes better than the bumbling cops. But Richards has taken these two tropes of related, but different genres, and made something new. Maybe it’s a cozy crossover, but I don’t think that’s what it’s supposed to be.

We have Luke, our broken, brusque, but loveable ex-cop leading the pack of misfit, but equally delightful team of new investigators through this strange corporate world. Not one of them is experienced in investigations, but somehow are all better than the cops. As both a cozy mystery and a thriller fan, it’s the sweet spot in the middle I love! And the sometimes dark humor with which Richards weaves his tale absolutely delights me. Outside of the occasional cozy mystery, I’ve never seen a crime/mystery writer that offered such comedy.

so many other reviewers, Josh is probably my favorite. I enjoyed his new friend Mandy this go around. I really hope we’ll see more of her in the future. But I also really loved getting to know some of the other characters more this time around.

The entire storyline this time was absolutely fascinating, and terrifying. How easily either thing could happen to any female presenting person. Especially in the world of rideshares and food delivery, the next generation might be more trusting than previous ones. It’s definitely something we have to consider while raising the world’s children.

I can’t wait to read the next one and see what the group will get up to next.

If you love a good crime book, especially one with great twists and sometimes dark humor. This book does cover some very dark and disturbing topics, so please be very cognizant of the content warnings.

Content Warnings: Kidnapping, Child Abuse, Sexual Assault, Nonconsensual Prostitution, Human Trafficking, Murder, Violence, Torture, Infidelity, Parental Death, Child Death, Spousal Death, Lynsey626 32

This is the second book in the Luke Sackville series and I loved the first book so I was very excited to pick this one up. Despite it being part of a series it can very easily be read as a standalone novel, although I do recommend reading the first book! I had high hopes for this book and it did not disappoint, in fact, I think this one is even better than the first one. Maybe it was the subject matter, as it was a world I was quite familiar with as I used to work in financial services for quite a while.

This outing picks up a few months after the events in the first book and sees the Ethics team at Filchers tasked with looking into the dealings of a new company which they have just acquired. However, when Luke is called into a meeting he is faced with a MI6 officer, Evan, who informs them that the new company maybe be money laundering for a new terrorist outfit. As the team look into this they are drawn into something that is very dangerous!

The team this time round are much more slick with how they are operating and the dynamic is proving to be very interesting. Josh is maturing and developing his detection skills, Sam whilst still recovering from her abduction is determined to find out about the money laundering and how this is being achieved. I particularly d getting to know more about Maj this time around!

Richards manages to balance dark gritty topics with humour and its very reminiscent to JD Kirk in this way. This time we are entering a more corporate world and how terrorists can still manage to manipulate large companies without people knowing! It's very scary and I found it all to be very authentic - I used to work in a team that use to cover this topic in a national bank.

I flew through this in one day and I'm already looking forward to book three! Let me know if you pick this one up. 2024 Jen James245 1 follower

Black Money, by SJ Richards, is the second in the ex DCI Luke Sackville series. I had really enjoyed Taken to the Hills, so was eager to read this follow up.

Luke, and his newly formed Ethics Team, are up against it in this book. What starts out as a run of the mill financial investigation into one of Filchers accounts, turns into a dangerous case.

I greatly enjoyed the character development in the book. Learning more of the team’s backstories, really enhanced my reading experience.
I still adore Wilkins, despite his pigeon penchant.

I found the book totally engrossing. The fast moving plot had me caught in the ‘just one more chapter’ cycle. The storyline is very relevant, the crimes being faced are sadly all too common in current times. It made for a gripping read.

There are lovely light touches of humour peppered through the pages. Luke’s description of Glen Baxter’s physical and mental attributes, being one of my favourites.

As with the first book, I loved the tribute that the author paid to a fellow indie author. Luke’s reading taste continues to impress me. His current audiobook is a JD Kirk, Hoon is given a mention. I can’t help but wonder what language would be expressed, if Hoon were to meet Josh.

If you are looking for entertaining books, from a British author, who writes engaging characters and plots, with great ease; the Luke Sackville series is perfect for you. My advice is to start quickly, as the third book, Fog of Silence, is being published in February.

My thanks to the author, for sharing this 5?? ARC with me. It is my pleasure to read and review your books Steve, thank you. Katie Beckwith75 2

Black Money, the second installment in the Luke Sackville crime series, delivers a gripping narrative that had me hooked from the very start. Despite being new to the series, I found it remarkably easy to dive into the story without feeling lost.

Initially, I was wary of the multiple storyline narrative technique, fearing confusion, but Richards masterfully weaves these perspectives together, creating an integrated and engaging storyline. Each character's viewpoint adds depth to the plot, fitting together pieces in a well-crafted puzzle.

Richards excels with his characterst, drawing readers into the world of Luke Sackville and his Ethics Team with vivid detail. I found myself fully immersed in the action, feeling a part of the team as they navigated through the intricacies of the investigation. The camaraderie and banter among the characters provided a lighter touch to the darker themes.

The fast-paced nature of Black Money had readers eagerly flipping pages, unable to resist the urge to uncover the next part of the story. The story unfolds seamlessly, with each twist and turn driving the plot forward at breakneck speed. Despite its fast pace, the story remains easy to follow, making it a truly enjoyable read.

Overall, Black Money is a must-read for fans of crime thrillers. With its well-crafted plot, compelling characters, and fast-paced action, it's a book that's hard to put down. I eagerly anticipate the next installment in the Luke Sackville series, eager to see where the story goes next.
Mrs. Reading Runes91 4

So the time has come, that I have finally finished this book it wasn’t took me a while to get into, I do recommend it because the plot was very original to me. I did enjoy the overall mystery of it, and the psychological grip that it had because if you would’ve told me that this book was going to be about what it was going to be about I would’ve been no there’s no way because , it looks very intriguing right the covers gorgeous and oh black money. OK so something with banks and robbery to see not exactly OK this book should definitely be a movie. OK I have a lot of these lately. Books this make me love that I read blindly meaning I don’t read the blurb I know nothing about it going in.
This book ended up being more than I expected it was as I was reading I was could be better and then I hit the ending and I was oh my God four stars definitely.

The main character of this book Luke gives Gerard Butler vibes and if you know you know because that’s what got me through this because he is heroic and strategic and critical to just driving this plot all the way that it’s 100% is a thriller but I was rooting for the bad guys. Did anybody else route for the bad guys?
Don’t worry, go on Amazon buy book one book 2 will 100% make more sense I love this book it’s more than what the blurb describes I promise this is epic Karolyn824 21

Here is my review for Black Money by S J Richards

Wow, what a book! I got into this book straight away and loved it from the start. It’s so easy to read and the story is just amazing. The plotting is great and the author’s writing is superb. It’s a roller coaster ride with lots of twists and turns throughout the story but it’s well worth reading. The prose is great with a wonderful eye for detail. I’m looking forward to book three when it comes out to see what that brings us for ex-DCI Luke Sackville and his crew.


Blurb :



Ex-DCI Luke Sackville could not have predicted the challenges he would face when he joined Filchers, a business outsourcing company, as their Head of Ethics.
He and his team are catapulted into helping MI6 thwart the activities of an international terrorist organisation. Initial suspicions centre on money laundering, but when women are abducted and bodies start to turn up it becomes clear there is a lot more at stake.
The risks are high and there is danger at every turn as the tendrils of the organisation reach into the home lives of more than one of Luke’s team.
Black Money is the second in the Luke Sackville crime series. If you a team you can root for then you’ll love this thriller. Perfect for fans of JD Kirk, LJ Ross, JM Dalgleish, David J Gatward and Alex Smith.2024 Lynda1,534 83

I love a story where the reader can fully engage with the characters in the book and in this regards the writer comes up trumps!! Second book in the Luke Sackville Crime Thrillers series, Luke is a former DCI now Head of Ethics at Filchers a business outsourcing company, based in Bath and if that sounds boring believe you me the work of the team most certainly isn’t! Definitely recommend you read book one first to understand the 5 people on his team more fully but can be read as a stand-alone.

Briefly, Luke is asked by MI6 to look into a possible terrorist link with a company Filchers is buying. At the same time the rather over enthusiastic Josh highlights a financial scam being carried out on elderly people. Their investigations bring to light a shocking trafficking ring with young girls being trafficked across Europe to a brothel in Bath.

As the team digs deeper so the danger deepens as they find themselves up against a ruthless opponent who does not hesitate to kill. The thing I really love about this and the previous book is the great characters the author has created. I’m fully invested in all of them, at work and their private lives. The storylines are great, exciting and fast paced. I do think it’s time Luke and Sam went on a date! Maybe next time. A very entertaining read.
competition Dee (readaholic_dee)219 11

Fantastic second book in the Luke Sackville series, it was so much more than I expected.

I love a book that draws you straight in, you just have to keep reading to find out what is going to happen, you connect with the characters, and are living and breathing the story, well, this book is certainly one of those!

Black Money focuses on International Terrorism and how far its reach can impact on peoples lives, as Luke and his team find out. Assisting MI5 by infiltrating a company, Luke and his team get embroiled in a faced paced, emotional, and intriguing plot. There are certainly enough twists to keep you turning those pages to find out what will happen next.

The book is well thought out, I enjoyed the different facets of the story and S J Richards pulls them all together seamlessly.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters more and finding out about them as this helps bring the book to life. I have got to admit my favourite character apart from Luke is Josh, he’s a quirky one!

This book is a seriously good read, you will not be disappointed, highly recommend.

Happy Reading. Katie155 10

A gripping crime/thriller that's the second book in the Ex-DCI Luke Sackville series.

Working as the Head of Ethics, Luke and his team are quickly pulled into an investigation. As they work with MI6 to undertake financial investigations, hoping to uncover terrorist links within the company.. they uncover more dangerous, dark activities.

The team uncover a large operation that links to human trafficking and scamming women out of thousands of pounds. What was already a risky operation, has turned into a potentially life threatening one.


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